Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday urged US President Donald Trump to focus on domestic issues in the United States, in response to Trump’s recent comments about closely monitoring developments in Iran.
Earlier, President Trump had warned that the United States would respond strongly if Iranian authorities used violence against protesters, saying Washington was watching the situation “very closely.”
Meanwhile, Iran was largely cut off from the outside world on Friday after authorities shut down internet access in an effort to contain widening protests. Phone communications were disrupted, flights were cancelled, and Iranian news websites were only intermittently accessible.
Ayatollah Khamenei accused protesters of acting on behalf of President Trump, alleging that rioters were targeting public property and warning that Tehran would not tolerate individuals acting as “mercenaries for foreign powers.”
The protests that began over soaring inflation in the Islamic Republic late last month have spiralled into the biggest for three years, with unrest reported in every province and rights groups documenting dozens of deaths.
Source: Dunya News
